


Harmony

by frozenCinders



Category: Shin Sangokumusou | Dynasty Warriors
Genre: M/M, raising dogs together with a slight twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21956284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frozenCinders/pseuds/frozenCinders
Summary: Li Dian figures raising a dog is like raising a kid. In that case, a wolf is like an especially large kid you plucked out of the woods.
Relationships: Lǐ Diǎn/Yuè Jìn
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Harmony

It's been freezing out lately. Anyone in their right mind would stay indoors or by a fire unless they had something important to take care of outside. Li Dian happens to have just finished what was keeping him from staying huddled up in bed, and he happens to spot Yue Jin on his way home.

"Oh, hey Yue Jin--"

"Nothing!" Yue Jin shouts with a start, whipping around to face him. He's holding his robe together with his hands and something is clearly moving under the fabric. He seems to relax a little upon seeing who addressed him.

"Uhh... whatcha got there?" Li Dian asks despite Yue Jin having answered his question in advance.

"It's..." He pauses and sighs defeatedly. Then, he loosens his grip and the head of a little puppy pops out. It's a bit of an unusual looking dog, though. Actually...

"Uh-oh... seriously, Yue Jin, what do you have?"

"A wolf..." he answers with shame, said wolf craning up to lick his face when he lowers his head, causing him to straighten back up.

"You do know you can't keep it, right?" Li Dian asks to make sure. Having a wolf within the city limits is just asking for trouble.

"I know! But it was all alone on the outskirts of town, and it's so cold out..."

"It has fur, buddy."

"But it's so small..."

It certainly seems content to snuggle up in Yue Jin's clothes, to boot. Li Dian wants to do the right thing and all-- return the wolf pup to its family, of course-- but they look so damn cute and Yue Jin's puppy eyes are somehow stronger than the actual puppy he's got.

"Jeez... the minute it gets warmer out, you're releasing it into the woods, okay?"

Yue Jin's eyes light right up.

"Of course! Until then, though... please don't tell anyone."

Li Dian closes his eyes and nods almost solemnly.

Three days later, the weather only seems to be getting even colder. Li Dian braces himself for the cold just to go check on Yue Jin. When he knocks on the door, there is barking, of course, but somehow, it doesn't quite sound right.

The door opens barely more than a crack so Yue Jin can see who it is, and when he opens the door fully, there is not one, but _two_ wolf pups coming over to sniff at his legs.

"Yue Jin! How did this happen?!"

"I don't know! I'm sorry!"

"What, did you just wake up and there were two?!"

"Well, I let Bao outside and he came back with--"

"You _named_ it?! Did you name the other one?!"

"... No..."

"Yue Jin..." Li Dian's warning tone has Yue Jin averting his eyes.

"I... was thinking Chao, so their names could match..." he answers meekly.

One of the pups is dragging the side of its face against the floor in its excitement before flopping over onto its back. The other stands up on its hind legs and leans its front paws against Li Dian's leg. Yue Jin, the third puppy in the room, nervously fiddles with his hands as he waits for Li Dian to speak again.

"Yue Jin, I've seriously never heard of a wolf freezing to death," he says, calmer in his attempt to reason with him.

"Just because you haven't heard of it doesn't mean it can't happen..."

"Come on, you've gotta..."

Li Dian looks around at the three of them and trails off with a sigh.

"No more, okay? And you've still gotta get rid of them once it's warm."

Yue Jin seems more reluctant to agree this time. Of course-- naming them is a sure sign of attachment.

"What am I gonna do with you..?"

His exasperation seems to have a more powerful effect on Yue Jin than any actual scolding or reasoning. The puppies, however, cannot read the room and continue trying to get Li Dian's attention.

The mental exhaustion has him unwilling to put up with the harsh cold outside, so Li Dian ends up staying over. He stubbornly tries to keep his hands to himself, but it's extremely difficult not to pet the wolves. Once he gives in for even a second, he stops trying to resist at all, much to their unbridled joy. One of the pups in particular takes a shine to him-- the one he recognizes as being new.

Two more weeks pass without the weather getting much warmer aside from three almost bearable sunny days. Yue Jin did end up officially naming the newer pup Chao, and she is much calmer than her assumed brother. That is, unless Li Dian ever enters the room. It's to the point where Li Dian has started leaving some of his things at Yue Jin's home, just so Chao can still have his scent around when he's gone. His belongings being there are also an excellent excuse to keep visiting.

Raising two puppies together has been nothing if not a very effective bonding exercise. Li Dian jokes one day that they're essentially parents together, and Yue Jin seems shaken by the comparison. Maybe he's intimidated by the idea of being a father.

"Which... um, which one of us is the mother, then?" he asks.

"Huh? There is no mom. Just two dads, hanging out."

Regardless of how Yue Jin feels, the puppies certainly seem to love their two dads.

However, the time does finally come where the weather gets warm enough that Li Dian has to remind Yue Jin to make good on his promise. It's sad, but Li Dian is fine with it because he knows it's the right thing to do. Yue Jin, on the other hand, got way too attached and has to fight tears. The wolves, now quite a lot bigger than when Yue Jin was able to hide one in his robe, race each other into the forest once he and Li Dian have made it clear that they aren't there to play with them. Li Dian hears a sob beside him and sighs, pulling Yue Jin closer to offer him a literal shoulder to cry on.

Later on, when Li Dian is collecting his things from Yue Jin's home, they hear scratching at the door. Since Li Dian is about to leave anyway, he opens it and is nearly trampled by Bao and Chao rushing indoors.

"Hey! You know you two were supposed to stay in the woods, right?"

The wolves are of course unable to understand. Li Dian drops his things, figuring this situation is far from over. At least Yue Jin has perked up.

Due to Li Dian's logic that Bao and Chao might happen upon their family if they stay outside, they're only indoors now when they've been scratching at the door. Otherwise, they follow their respective favorite humans everywhere they're allowed to go. Word very much gets out about Li Dian and Yue Jin's apparent pet wolves, but Cao Cao doesn't seem to mind, at least. Xiahou Dun gives them a light scolding but ends up petting Bao anyway.

Li Dian stays over a lot more than he probably should these days, but Yue Jin has hardly been to Li Dian's home at all. So, while the wolves are outside, Li Dian invites him over just because. It's quiet there, and certainly cleaner with no wolves shedding their fur all over the house. Yue Jin seems to feel out of place, so Li Dian pats him on the shoulder and tells him to make himself at home. He nods but appears to be distracted by something.

"Are we..." he begins to ask before changing the question. "Do you remember when you said we were like parents?"

"Yeah, with our little puppy kids! What about it?"

Yue Jin shakes his head and seems ready to drop the subject, and Li Dian's intuition assists him in keeping it in the air.

"What, you want us to do other parent stuff?" he asks, shocking Yue Jin.

"No, I--! I could never be so forward! That would be inappropriate..!"

Oh. Li Dian wasn't thinking like _that,_ but apparently Yue Jin was.

"Well, how about this? From now on, whenever I leave, I'll give you a kiss on the cheek," he jokes, but the way Yue Jin's eyes widen is as genuine as can be.

"You're... joking, aren't you?" he asks quietly.

Now Li Dian feels bad, like he was making fun of Yue Jin. To make up for it, he grabs him softly by the shoulders and kisses his cheek. Yue Jin is stunned and would probably melt to the floor if not for Li Dian holding him in place.

"See? It's not a big deal. Whatever you want to do, just let me know," he says.

Yue Jin, once he comes to his senses, grabs Li Dian's face on either side and gives him a much longer kiss on the opposite cheek. Li Dian laughs; just joy in the moment, clearly not at anyone's expense, and Yue Jin can't help but join in.

It'd be nice if the moment could last without one of their darling "children" barking to be let in after following them all that way.


End file.
